From the acclaimed, award-winning author of Alexander Hamilton: here is the essential, endlessly engrossing biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.—the Jekyll-and-Hyde of American capitalism. In the course of his nearly 98 years, Rockefeller was known as both a rapacious robber baron, whose Standard Oil Company rode roughshod over an industry, and a philanthropist who donated money lavishly to universities and medical centers. He was the terror of his competitors, the bogeyman of reformers, the delight of caricaturists—and an utter enigma.

Drawing on unprecedented access to Rockefeller’s private papers, Chernow reconstructs his subjects’ troubled origins (his father was a swindler and a bigamist) and his single-minded pursuit of wealth. But he also uncovers the profound religiosity that drove him “to give all I could”; his devotion to his father; and the wry sense of humor that made him the country’s most colorful codger. Titan is a magnificent biography—balanced, revelatory, elegantly written.

John D. Rockefeller knew what it was like to have money troubles. As a boy, he was too often left in the position of man of the house. His mother’s guidance and his passion for Christ set him on a never-ending path of perseverance.

At an early age, Rockefeller had a calling. His mission was to serve God by amassing as much money as possible in order to build heaven on earth. Yet the nation believed the vehicle Rockefeller used to do this drove many of his competitors to ruination. His behemoth Standard Oil became synonymous with greed.

As the muckrakers of the late 19th century stirred the United States’ population into a frenzy, Theodore Roosevelt vowed to stop the empire John D. Rockefeller had spent creating during the first half of his life. This biography is the story of one man’s will to succeed and how his triumphs spanned beyond three generations. Vehemently hated by some, John D. Rockefeller came to be loved by many, for his life and fortune were devoted to the betterment of the world.